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Obituary: Michael Wilford, the architect who shaped Sto

March 23, 2023

The world-famous British architect Michael Wilford died on 10 March 2023, at the age of 84. He leaves behind a legacy of colourful, award-winning post-modern architecture, including some of Sto’s most distinctive buildings.

In the 1990s, his Stuttgart-based practice Michael Wilford Architekten created a master plan for the Sto headquarters in Stühlingen Weizen, the prototype sales and distribution centre in Hamburg, and the iconic K Building – which stands proudly at the heart of the Sto campus. Each of these buildings continue to characterize the architectural and corporate identity of the Sto Group today.

Michael’s career began at the Northern Polytechnic School of Architecture (now part of London Metropolitan University), during which time he joined James Stirling’s practice in 1960. The pair went on to establish the Stirling/Wilford Partnership in 1971 where Michael continued to work until Stirling’s death in 1992. Some of the most famous buildings Michael worked on over his illustrious career include the Tomasek Polytechnic in Singapore, the State University of Music and Performing Arts Centre in Stuttgart, No1 Poultry in the City of London, the Tate Liverpool art gallery, and the British Embassy in Berlin.

  • Michael Wilford, Sto, manufacturer of plaster, paint, external wall insulation finishes, masterplan Sto headquarters, british architect
    Michael Wilford at the opening of the K Building at Sto Headquarters in Stuehlingen
  • Michael Wilford, vivid colours, colour in architecture, external wall insulation, bright colours, luminous render, coloured facades, coloured render, through-tinted colours, bright colours, deep red, deep blue, vivid yellow, inspirational facades
    K Building at Sto Headquarters in the Black Forest in Germany
  • Michael Wilford, vivid colours, colour in architecture, external wall insulation, bright colours, luminous render, coloured facades, coloured render, through-tinted colours, bright colours, deep red, deep blue, vivid yellow, inspirational facades
    K Building at Sto Headquarters in the Black Forest in Germany
  • Michael Wilford, vivid colours, colour in architecture, external wall insulation, bright colours, luminous render, coloured facades, coloured render, through-tinted colours, bright colours, deep red, deep blue, vivid yellow, inspirational facades
    K Building at Sto Headquarters in the Black Forest in Germany
  • Michael Wilford, vivid colours, colour in architecture, external wall insulation, bright colours, luminous render, coloured facades, coloured render, through-tinted colours, bright colours, deep red, deep blue, vivid yellow, inspirational facades
    K Building at Sto Headquarters in the Black Forest in Germany
  • Michael Wilford, vivid colours, colour in architecture, external wall insulation, bright colours, luminous render, coloured facades, coloured render, through-tinted colours, bright colours, deep red, deep blue, vivid yellow, inspirational facades
    K Building at Sto Headquarters in the Black Forest in Germany
  • Michael Wilford, vivid colours, colour in architecture, external wall insulation, bright colours, luminous render, coloured facades, coloured render, through-tinted colours, bright colours, deep red, deep blue, vivid yellow, inspirational facades
    Sto in Hamburg, Germany
  • Michael Wilford, vivid colours, colour in architecture, external wall insulation, bright colours, luminous render, coloured facades, coloured render, through-tinted colours, bright colours, deep red, deep blue, vivid yellow, inspirational facades
    Sto in Hamburg, Germany
  • Michael Wilford, vivid colours, colour in architecture, external wall insulation, bright colours, luminous render, coloured facades, coloured render, through-tinted colours, bright colours, deep red, deep blue, vivid yellow, inspirational facades
    Sto in Hamburg, Germany
  • Michael Wilford, vivid colours, colour in architecture, external wall insulation, bright colours, luminous render, coloured facades, coloured render, through-tinted colours, bright colours, deep red, deep blue, vivid yellow, inspirational facades
    Sto in Hamburg, Germany
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